Bioactive properties and metabolite profiling of Satureja species: antioxidant potential, anti-amylase activity, and nutritional composition

Abstract The Satureja genus, an aromatic herb, is traditionally used in culinary practices, fragrance production, and food manufacturing owing to its diverse bioactive properties. This study assessed the antioxidant capacity, anti-amylase activity, proximate composition, techno-functional properties, essential oil profile, fatty acid and amino acid composition, and overall nutritional value of selected Satureja species. The major macronutrients found in Satureja species are carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, while ash, polyphenols, chlorophylls, and carotenoids are present in lower concentrations. The powdered extracts of Satureja display strong antioxidant and α-amylase inhibitory activities, comparable to those of standard controls. These functional properties are likely related to the plant’s diverse biochemical composition, particularly its non-starch polysaccharides, proteins, lipids, polyphenols, flavonoids, chlorophylls, and carotenoids, which together enhance its nutritional value and bioactive potential. Essential oils were dominated by carvacrol, followed by γ-terpinene, thymol, p-cymene, and α-terpinene. The principal fatty acids included linolenic (ω-3), palmitic, linoleic (ω-6), oleic (ω-9), stearic, and palmitoleic (ω-7) acids, yielding favorable nutritional indices, such as high health-promoting and hypocholesterolemic scores and low atherogenicity and thrombogenicity values. Amino acid profiling revealed aspartic and glutamic acids as predominant, along with arginine, alanine, proline, leucine, serine, lysine, and glycine. Functional categorization indicated glucogenic amino acids as the most abundant, followed by hydrophobic, bitter, sweet, ketogenic, and branched-chain groups. Collectively, these findings highlight the Satureja genus as a valuable functional and techno-functional ingredient with potential applications in managing oxidative stress and preserving natural foods.